When the Dallas Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, there was a good amount of optimism and excitement. Irving, when on the court, was still one of the most dynamic players in the league.
Pairing him with Luka Doncic in the same backcourt would certainly give opponents fits. But, the start of their partnership wasn’t a fruitful one. The Mavericks struggled to get momentum going as the roster was incomplete around them.
The first stage of their partnership was a failure. Dallas missed the 2023 NBA Playoffs but bounced back this season. The front office did a good job of retooling the roster around their two starts, including deadline deals for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavericks Updates
In the loaded Western Conference, the Mavericks were able to land the No. 5 seed. It pitted them against the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers, a team Dallas knows well from recent postseason battles.
In Game 1, the results were more of the same. Dallas received little contributions from anyone outside of Doncic and Irving, as they trailed by double-digits for more than three-quarters of the game.
For Game 2, things weren’t getting any easier. Kawhi Leonard, who missed Game 1 because of knee inflammation, was back in the lineup. A 0-2 hole was staring the Mavericks in the face, but they responded to the adversity.
Dallas pulled off the upset victory, winning 96-93. After going down six early in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks ripped off a 14-0 run to take control of the game. They wouldn’t surrender the lead again, evening the series up at one win apiece.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavericks Updates
After the game, Irving spoke candidly about the journey he and the Mavericks took to get to this point. He believes some of the failures early on actually helped the team grow and get to where they are now.
Irving has certainly made himself an easy target during recent NBA seasons with some of his off-court transgressions. But with the Mavericks, he has remained focused on basketball, and it is yielding very positive results.
Advancing in the 2024 NBA Playoffs certainly won’t be easy, as the Clippers are legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. But, with Doncic and Irving playing at a high level, the Mavericks are as dangerous as any team in the league.
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